SURVIVAL INSTINCT
by Kiddymonster
Summary: Heartbeat's Oscar Blaketon doesn't approve of showing weakness so this story puts him in a situation where he must literally place his life into someone else's hands
1. Chapter 1

SURVIVAL INSTINCT

It's well known that Oscar Blaketon dislikes displays of human weakness so I thought it would be interesting to write a story where he is forced to quite literally place his life in the hands of someone else

CHAPTER 1

The blizzard was at its zenith and the wind was like a knife. Sergeant Oscar Blaketon dragged himself across the snow, trying to avoid the pain and the trail of blood that he was leaving behind him on the virgin snow. Alone on Colby Moor, he cursed vehemently. He wished he had not gone after the robbers, Bellamy had passed on the tip-off that they were headed in that direction but no evidence had suggested that they were armed. Blaketon had driven in a patrol car, which had got stuck in a snow drift, and had thereafter pursued them on foot. He had found them but been able to call for backup. He had, somewhat foolhardily it seemed now, attempted to arrest them but one of them, a sinister looking fellow with a scarred face, lank greasy hair and a silver ring in his left ear, had shot at him. Blaketon had fallen and managed to feign death until they drove off in a black Hillman Minx.

Now Blaketon was stranded, injured and alone in a blizzard. His only hope was to try and make it to the patrol car and radio for help.

The cold wetness of the snow seeped through Blaketon's clothes to his very marrow and each movement caused him pain. Visibility was severely limited and the snow stung his face.

His survival instinct had kicked in and he was determined to reach a source of help or die trying. How long realistically could he hope to survive out here in a blizzard when he was losing blood and lapsing into shock and hypothermia?

"What a way to die!" He thought.

District Nurse Maggie Bolton was thankful that she had secured snow chains to her jeep although the snow had been light when she had set out from Aidensfield just after lunch to visit a mother and newborn baby on the other side of Colby Moor. Now it was getting dark.

Blaketon gritted his teeth against the pain and the bitter cold. He felt so weak and exhausted but did not dare rest in case he never got moving again. The robbers were far away from here by now, thinking he was dead, He prayed to a God in Whom he wasn't sure he believed, that help would come. He even felt that he would be pleased to see the bane of his life, Claude Jeremiah Greengrass. Blaketon wished he had a loving woman waiting at home, one who would alert his colleagues and help to mobilise a search and rescue party. He tried to comfort himself by imagining a woman's warm arms around him but in truth it had been so long since he had experienced this that he had forgotten what it felt like. He kept pushing himself forward, gritting his teeth and feeling the pain increase with each movement he made.

Maggie's engine shuddered to a halt. She cursed. What a time to run out of petrol! She wondered if there was a can in the back of the vehicle and she was in luck. She found a two thirds full can. She decanted it into the vehicle and resumed her seat behind the wheel. The engine choked and spluttered but refused to turn over.

Blaketon heard the choking engine and drew a painful breath. if he could make it to the vehicle perhaps the driver could help him. His throat was sore and dry from dehydration. It had been an hour, maybe two, since he had forced himself to eat a handful of snow to try and hydrate himself. He felt he couldn't move another inch but what was the alternative? Lie down in the snow and allow shock and death to claim him? Not an option. Blaketon was not a man to give in easily. He would find help or die trying. He decided to rest for just a moment. The pain was becoming unbearable.

Blaketon settled himself against a rock, his breathing was shallow and ragged and although he was freezing cold his skin was clammy. He knew he had to stay awake but it wasn't going to be easy. How much blood had he lost? He felt in his pockets, looking for a sweet, anything of interest to try and occupy his mind. He found a standard police issue tin whistle. He had no idea how it had got there but maybe, if he could blow it, the driver of the vehicle whose troubled engine he had heard might hear him. he lifted the whistle to his mouth and blew hard. It made a shrill but reasonably loud sound. He blew it again, trying to ignore the knife like pain in his chest as he did so.

"Control to Delta Alpha Two one Control to Delta Alpha Two one. Come in." Alf Ventress once again transmitted over the radio but still no response.

"No news Alf?" Phil Bellamy asked.

"No. I can't raise Blaketon."

"It's freezing out there." Bellamy said.

"Aye." Alf tried to transmit again.

"Control to Delta Alpha Two one Control to Delta Alpha Two one."

But the silence persisted.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Maggie awoke from a light doze. Straining she thought she could make out the sound of a whistle. Surely there were no shepherds out on the moor in this weather? Even if there weren't someone was trying to attract attention.

She went round to the back of her vehicle and found a large torch. She picked up her nurses bag, which contained basic medical equipment; dressings, bandages, wound salve, painkillers and similar essentials. She picked up her Thermos, which was filled with hot sweet tea, She put on a heavy coat over her nurses coat and picked up a blanket. She could hear the whistle again, clearer now the wind had dropped, and it sounded insistent.

Maggie set forth in the snow, holding her light aloft.

Blaketon closed his eyes. The pain was hell. How much longer could he expect to live in these adverse conditions. Even if he hadn't the injury he was still lost. Then he heard a voice and his heart leapt/

"Hello." Maggie called. "is there anyone out here?"

Summoning all his strength Blaketon called as loud as he could.

"Over here! By the rock! For God's sake help me!"

Maggie froze. She recognised that voice. She pressed on and found him, leaning against the rock. The look of shock on her face as her torchlight fell upon him was apparent.

"Sergeant Blaketon! What on earth happened to you?"

"Shot!" Blaketon said, weakly gesturing towards his right leg. Maggie saw a sticky damp patch on his trousers.

She knelt beside him in the snow. She knew she had to try and attend to the wound. She could see the blood trail across the snow in the direction whence he had come and her heart went out to him.

"I need to look at the wound Sergeant." She said. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to rip your trousers."

"Do what you have to1" he said weakly.

Maggie knelt over Blaketon and ripped open his trouser leg. He had taken a hit on the inside of his right leg, between knee and hip, and bright red arterial blood was gushing into the wound. Maggie cleaned the wound as best she could with an antiseptic alcohol wipe."

"Christ, that stings!" Blaketon gasped.

"Sorry but I need to clean this up." Maggie said firmly. "Last thing you need is an infection." She finished swabbing and pressing together the edges of the wound as best and ,as gently as she could, she applied pressure to the bleeding before taping a gauze dressing over it.

"I've done the best I can do." She said. "It will hold for as long as we need it to."

Blaketon's eyes were closed. She shook him.

"You can't go to sleep, Mr Blaketon." She said firmly

"Freezing" He murmured. "Maggie I'm so cold."

Maggie took off her heavy coat and covered Blaketon with it. She poured some tea from the Thermos and held the cup.

"You need to drink this Mr Blaketon." she said. "It's hot and sweet. It will help you."

"Throat sore." He croaked. "Can't swallow."

"You need to try." Maggie held the cup to his lips and he managed to swallow some. The hot liquid sliding down his throat made him feel warmer. Maggie held the cup until he had finished.

Blaketon took a sip of the hot liquid and found he was, after all, able to swallow. Maggie held the cup for him until he finished.

"Need to sleep!" He said. "I'm so tired."

"You can't go to sleep Mr Blaketon." Maggie said firmly. "You've lost a lot of blood. You need to stay awake."

"I need to get back to my patrol car. Call for help."

"You're not going anywhere Mr Blaketon." The tone of her voice was such that he didn't dare argue.

He shivered violently. Maggie wasn't attracted to Blaketon but she knew that the warmer she could keep him until help arrived the better his chances. She felt protective of him; he was her patient and she was damned if she was going to lose him. She crept under her coat and gently lifted him so that she could pull him close to her.

"What are you doing Maggie?"

"Trying to keep you warm."

Blaketon felt comforted by the presence of a female body and tried not to think about how long it was since he had had any meaningful physical contact with a woman. Being close to Maggie was not sexual but he was surprised at how comforted he felt. He tried to ignore the pain.

At last the snow stopped falling. Maggie continued to hold him close to her, willing him to stay awake, trying gently to massage his aching muscles although she stopped when she realised it caused him physical pain.

"Maggie. I need to get to the police station."

"You're not going anywhere. " She said. "Even if you could physically drive, your car is stuck in a drift and mine won't start.

"Am I going to die?" His voice was strained.

"Not if I can help it." She said with more confidence than she felt.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

As time wore on, Maggie was wishing that she had put coffee, rather than tea, in her Thermos. Keeping Blaketon awake was getting increasingly more difficult. She knew him professionally and had always been respectful of his air of authority and apparent lack of weakness. Seeing him now, weak and needing someone, being reliant on her to keep him alive, was a new thing. She made a vow to herself that she would not let him down.

"Don't leave me!" He said. "There are three armed men out there."

"They'll be miles away by now." She said.

About fourteen miles away in Whitby, Constable Phil Bellamy was helping out the local force with some surveillance on a bank. There had been a spate of robberies recently but no report that the men were armed.

Three men emerged at a run from the bank and made towards a black Hillman Minx. Phil pulled out and drove the patrol car so that it blocked their exit.

"They could be armed!" One of the Whitby coppers said.

The men tried to make a run for it but pretty soon they were in cuffs, being read their rights. They were taken to Whitby police station to be questioned, finger-printed and processed into the system.

The apparent leader of the gang; a stocky built character with lank greasy hair and a silver earring, leered at him.

"We got one of your lot, out on the moor. Probably dead now. Matthew here shot him in the leg. Arrogant cock tried to capture us single-handedly Deserved everything he got!"

Phil Bellamy felt sick to the stomach. He had to mean Blaketon as Phil knew he had gone across the moor. There was a blizzard out there. Sergeant Blaketon was tough but even he would not be able to survive in that cold especially not with a gunshot wound. If Blaketon was dead Bellamy vowed that he would get these bastards. As soon as he had handed over the prisoners to his Whitby counterparts Bellamy asked to use a phone. He dialled, praying for an answer, praying that it would turn out to be a bad dream and that Blaketon would answer the phone and demand his presence back in Ashfordly. However he knew that this would not happen.

Alf Ventress answered the phone, sounding out of breath.

"Ashfordly Police."

"Alf, it's Phil."

"Are you okay Phil?"

"Yeah, we got the bastards!"

"Well done lad. That'll please Blaketon no end."

Phil swallowed and took a deep breath.

"There's summat else Alf. They confessed to shooting Blaketon, out on the Moor. Flaming bragging about it they were. Managed to bite my tongue. Just! He'll freeze to death if he hasn't already bled out."

"Flaming heck!" Alf lit a cigarette. "At least that explains why he hasn't answered the radio."

"Alf, I need you to get hold of Nick. And Maggie. Tell them what's happened. I'll get a lift from Whitby and start looking for him."

"Jo Weston's been on the phone. Maggie went to visit a patient t'other side of moor this afternoon and she ain't come back."

"Oh Christ. And she's got a heavy duty vehicle an'all. All we can do is pray she finds Blaketon."

"What are you going to do Phil?"

"Get a lift back to you and take it from there."

"Okay Phil. See you soon." Alf hung up.

"Come on Oscar! Stay awake!" Maggie said. She had long ago stopped calling him Mr Blaketon.

"I'm so tired Maggie. It's getting more and more difficult."

"I know but try and hold on."

Maggie held him close, determined to keep him warm and awake. They shared the last cupful of tea.

In a car, borrowed from one of the Whitby coppers, Phil Bellamy skirted the edge of Colby Moor and spotted the half buried patrol car. He was relieved to find the door unlocked, Blaketon must have taken off in a hurry. He got straight on the radio.

"Delta Alpha Two one to control. Are you receiving? Over."

"Control to Delta Alpha two one receiving over!"

"Alf. I found the car but no sign of Blaketon. What now? Over."

"Keep looking Phil. He can't have gone far with a hole in his leg. Over"

"I feel bad for every time I ever wound him up. This is my fault Alf. Over."

"I feel bad too Phil. But Blaketon's a survivor. If anyone can get through this he can." Nick's on his way. Over."

"Thanks Alf, Over and out."

Phil got back into the borrowed car and struck out across the Moor.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

"I can hear something, Oscar." Maggie said. "Stay with me!"

She kicked the torch out from behind the rock, not wishing to move from her position . He handed her the whistle.

"Try this!" He whispered.

Maggie blew hard on the whistle.

"Sarge?" Phil called, arriving close to the rock.

"Over here Phil." Maggie called. Phil's heart leapt. If Maggie had found Blaketon, and judging by the blood he could see trailing off she probably had, then at least his sergeant had a fighting chance.

"Oh God Maggie!" Phil picked up the torch and shone it on them.

"What's happened to you Sarge?"

Phil knelt on the floor beside Blaketon.

"Is he going to make it?" He asked Maggie.

"If we can get him to hospital. He's in deep shock Phil. He's lost a lot of blood."

" Nick's on his way."

Phil radioed for an ambulance, stressing the urgency.

"I don't suppose you have any liquid on you Phil?" Maggie asked, not wanting to let go of Blaketon.

"I got some water."

"He needs to drink." Maggie said.

Phil unscrewed the top of the water bottle and held it to Blaketon's lips. "Come on Sarge!" he said, almost affectionately. Blaketon swallowed some water and was promptly sick.

"We got them bastards, Sarge. "Phil said. "One of them told us he had shot you. It was hard for me not to deck him. Me and two Whitby lads got them. They said you were dead."

"I would be. If not for Maggie." Blaketon rasped.

"Keep talking to him Phil." Maggie urged. "We have to keep him awake. Come on Oscar, hold on for me."

She held tightly to Blaketon, sensing it had been some time since he had been near a woman. She felt comforted by his closeness too but knew that there wasn't, and never would be, anything sexual between them

"Maggie. His lips are turning blue!" Phil said in alarm. "Where the hell has that ambulance got to?"

"Keep talking to him Phil." She said. "We have to keep him awake."

Phil prattled on about the arrest of the robbers. Maggie sensed he felt angry at the men who had shot his Sergeant and she sensed also that Phil felt a deep affection and respect for Blaketon although she knew that he, Nick Rowan and Alf Ventress delighted in winding him up.

Then they heard a siren. "Thank God for that!" Maggie exclaimed. "Hold on for a bit longer, Oscar. It's going to be alright!"

"What have we got here?" One of the ambulance crew asked.

"Gunshot wound. Deep shock. Possible hypothermia. We've been keeping him warm and giving him fluids but he brought the last lot up." Maggie answered them.

"Let's have a look shall we?" The ambulance man carefully pulled back the coat. Maggie was almost sobbing and seemed almost reluctant to relinquish Blaketon from her hold. She was cold and exhausted but at last she could hand over to the rescuers.

They loaded Blaketon onto a stretcher.

"We'll take him to Ashfordly General." They said. "You had better come with us Nurse Bolton. You can tell us what you've done to treat him."

"Okay." Maggie swallowed. She turned to Phil. "Are you okay to drive? I can get Bernie Scripps to come and get my Land Rover later."

"Yeah I'll be okay." Phil said. "Tell them to take care of him."

The ambulance moved off to Ashfordly General, the blue light flashing.

Phil Bellamy stood still for a while, taking in what he had seen. He knew that Blaketon now had a fighting chance and was on his way to somewhere he would be helped. Maggie had surely saved his life. Phil knew that Blaketon was tough but his vulnerability had shocked Phil. Choked up with emotions of anger, relief and exhaustion Phil Bellamy burst into tears.

"Phil!" A familiar voice said. He turned to see Nick Rowan pull up on his motorbike.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

"Nick!" Phil was relieved. He had managed to compose himself.

"What happened? Is he ?" Nick couldn't finish the sentence.

"Alive yeah. He looked terrible though Nick. Thank God Maggie found him else I think we would have lost him."

Phil wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "Ill tell you Nick. I ain't ever gonna wind him up again. And if he don't make it, I am going to make sure those bastards get done for manslaughter, murder if I can manage it!" He looked at Nick from a dirty tear-streaked face. "Don't let me go back on that Nick. Not once. Not ever."

"Where did they take him?"

"Ashfordly General." Phil thought about what he had seen, about how reluctant Maggie had seemed to let Blaketon go. He was probably over-tired and imagining things.

"Nick, Jo lives with Maggie. Has she ever said anything about Maggie having a, well having a thing for Blaketon?"

"No." Nick seemed surprised to be asked. "Why?"

"All the time I was here she had him in her arms. When the ambulance finally got here it was like she didn't want to let go of him, although she knew that she was giving him to people who could do more for him. I really thought he was a gonner Nick. It's my fault."

"How can it be your fault?"

"Because I took the phone tip off about where they were headed and he went straight out after them."

"You didn't know they were armed, Phil. Blaketon will say the same."

"If he makes it."

"He will."

"You didn't see him, Nick. He looked really ill. Me & Maggie had a real fight on our hands trying to make sure he stayed awake. He must have been exhausted,"

"He'll get the help he needs now." Nick said. "And if Maggie has got feelings for Blaketon then it's none of our business and she could do one hell of a lot worse. I mean, she could be in love with Greengrass."

"Heaven forbid! He'd think all his Christmases had come at once! Could you imagine it? Maggie & Claude?"

"I'd rather not." Nick said. "Come on, I'll drive you to the hospital and we'll radio Alf on the way. I can come back for the bike later."

"Thanks Nick. As you've probably guessed I am not in a fit state to drive!"

They found Maggie at the hospital, absent-mindedly stirring a cup of tea that had long since gone cold. She looked exhausted.

"Maggie." Phil said.

"Hi Phil. Nick." She managed a smile.

"Where's Blaketon? Is he.." Phil couldn't finish.

"He's in Intensive care. They've patched up the wound and they're giving him a blood transfusion and IV fluids. He's unconscious at the moment but they think he's going to be okay. I'm waiting for one of the doctors to come and talk to me."

"He'll be okay Maggie. Sergeant Blaketon's a tough guy. He won't let a bullet and hypothermia stop him."

Maggie burst into tears. She was absolutely exhausted and longing for a hot meal, a hot bath and a stiff drink. Nick put his arms around her.

"I never thought I would see him so vulnerable. It frightened me so much."

"It scared me too." Phil said.

"But he's alive because of you Maggie. " Nick said.

"I know, Nick."

"Nurse Bolton!" They turned to see a doctor walking towards them, Dr James Lawson was a thin wiry man with a goatee beard and a mop of salt and pepper curls.

Maggie introduced Nick and Phil and Lawson shook hands with them.

"How is he doc?" Phil asked.

"He's very lucky." Lawson replied. "We managed to fix the wound and hopefully it won't scar. His vital signs are good and he's getting IV fluids and a transfusion . "

"Can we see him?" Phil asked.

"Not at present. He's unconscious anyway but he needs complete rest. It would have been a lot worse for him if Nurse Bolton hadn't found him when she did.

"I need to go the loo." Phil said. He walked off down the corridor.

"Phil blames himself." said Nick.

"Why should he?" Maggie asked.

"He took the phone call with the information that Blaketon took off after."

"But Phil didn't know they were armed."

"I know." Nick said. "Maggie, can I ask you something?"

"if it's do I have romantic feelings for Blaketon the answer is no, I don't. I felt close to him because he needed help. Maybe once upon a time I might have done but he's not for me."

"That's okay." Nick said " But you could both do a lot worse."

"I need a stiff drink!" Maggie said.

"I'll take you to the Aidensfield Arms." Nick said. "But first I'll explain things to Dr Lawson and see if he will let Phil see Blaketon for a couple of minutes. He's falling apart."

Nick took Lawson aside and spoke quietly to him. Dr Lawson listened intently and then nodded. "Okay but five minutes only."

Phil readily agreed and Maggie said they would come back for him later.

They went into the Aidensfield Arms. As it wasn't strictly opening hours George took them through into the back area and pressed glass of whisky into Maggie's hand. "On the house." He said

Just then Jo came in

"Hello Nick." She kissed him.

"Hello!"

"Maggie, thank God you're okay! I was getting worried about you."

"I'm fine. Nothing a hot meal and bath and a good sleep won't mend."

"How's Sergeant Blaketon?"

"He's unconscious but they seem to think he's through the worst now"

"That's a relief."

"Yes it is." Nick said. "He's a far better sergeant than my old one in the Met. Sergeant Mike Latimer his name was and he was a bit of a monster. Blaketon is straight as a die and he knows what police work is really about."

"I suppose you're acting Sergeant for the time being?" Jo asked.

"I don't know. I haven't really thought about it."

Maggie sighed. It was okay for her, she had Jo and her friends to worry about her. Blaketon had no one to come home to.

A couple of days later, Dr Lawson phoned Nick at the station.

"Constable Rowan? It's Dr Lawson."

"Hello." Nick felt his heart pound.

"Mr Blaketon is doing fine and it should be okay for you to visit but don't stay too long. He needs a lot of rest. We've moved him to a regular ward."

"Thanks Doctor." Nick smiled.

"Well?" Phil asked.

"He's okay. He can have visitors now as long as we don't stay too long."

Phil was the first in to visit. Blaketon was sitting upright. He had some colour back and looked one hell of a lot better than when Phil had last seen him.

"Hello Sarge!"

Blaketon smiled.

"You look a lot better Sarge."

"I feel a lot better Bellamy. I thought I had had it for a while out there."

"I'm glad, Sarge."

"What's this I hear from Doctor Lawson about you blaming yourself? It isn't your fault Bellamy. You didn't know they were armed."

"Didn't stop me feeling bad, Sarge." Bellamy swallowed. "Truth is, you're a good Sergeant. If you hadn't made it I would have made it my business to see the bastards hang. And I promise I won't ever wind you up again."

"I know I'm not an easy person to get on with Bellamy." Blaketon took a sip of water. "How's Rowan getting on as Sergeant?"

"Pretty good, Sarge."

"Well tell him not to get too comfortable in my office, Bellamy. I'll be wanting it back."

"I'll tell him Sarge."

"Thank you for your loyalty, Bellamy."

"No problem Sarge. Maggie said she'll look in later."

"I owe her my life."

Maggie walked tentatively into the room. Blaketon smiled and, as she sat down, he took hold of her hand and held it tight.

"Thank you so much Maggie. I owe you my life."

"I did what anyone would have done, Oscar."

"If you were in the Force you would be up for a commendation."

"I don't know how to thank you."

"Seeing you looking better is reward in itself." Maggie said, squeezing his hand. "It's just a shamed yhou haven't someone at home to take care of you."

"I'm sure you will Maggie."

"I'll do what I am expected to do as a nurse of course." She said. "But I was meaning a significant other, someone special."

"I've been on my own too long now Maggie."

"I know. But I want you to know that you can always talk to me. And you've got some terrific officers."

"I realise that. Sometimes I don't feel I have appreciated them enough but that will change now. I would like to take you out for dinner when I get out of here."

"I'd like that Oscar. I'd better let you get some rest now."

"I'm fine. But thanks again."

In time Blaketon was back in his office in Ashfordly and, while he and Maggie never actually got around to having dinner together, they became very good friends and for Maggie that was good enough


End file.
